This invention relates generally to spray bottles, and more particularly to a grip for use in conjunction with a spray bottle.
Spray bottles are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are used in a wide variety of applications. Some spray bottles have their contents pressurized, such as aerosol paint cans and the like, while other spray bottles have their contents expelled through a pump attached to the bottle, such as cleaning products and medicinal products. In the case of spray bottles containing liquid pharmaceutical products, it is often critical that a precise amount of the liquid pharmaceutical be dispensed each time the spray bottle is activated. Too much of the pharmaceutical product or drug may cause side effects, while too little of the drug may be ineffective. In the case of nasal spray bottles used for delivering a drug to a patient's nasal passageways, a precise amount of the drug is typically delivered by a pump mechanism that must be precisely activated. The pump is usually activated by the user placing his thumb under the bottom of the bottle, placing two of his fingers on opposite sides of a finger flange disposed towards the top end of the bottle, and then squeezing such that the bottle bottom and the finger flange are drawn toward one another. Such movement activates the pump and expels a portion of the bottle's contents.
In order to expel only a selected amount of the drug out of the bottle, the movement of the finger flange is limited by a stop positioned on the pump at a measured distance below the rest position of the finger flange. While the stop prevents spraying too large of a dose of the drug, the stop does not ensure that a complete dose is delivered. To ensure a complete dose, the finger flange must be pressed down both completely and evenly against the stop. If the finger flange is pressed down unevenly, then one side of the flange will contact the stop before the other, which may cause the user to prematurely terminate the squeezing of the finger flange and thereby deliver an incomplete dose. Similarly, if one of the user's fingers should slip, an incomplete dose may be delivered. The proper use of the pump, therefore, requires correct positioning of the fingers on the finger flange and controlled, coordinated movement of the finger flange. While these requirements may be easily met by most adults, however, people with Parkinson's disease or coordination difficulties, arthritics, stroke victims, or children all may find the proper use of a spray bottle difficult. A spray bottle that can be easily used by a wide variety of persons with varying physical conditions and of varying ages is, therefore, highly desirable.